# Movie Women Who Kick Butt **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 7, 2001, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422 "2001-02-07T00:36:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/1 "2001-02-07T00:36:38Z")
In [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=58400&pagenumber=2) thread about actors who are typecasted, I mention two of my favorite movies; **Aliens** and **The Long Kiss Goodnight**. I like these movies because women kick serious butt in them. I don’t mean **Silkwood** kinda I’ll-show-you-before-I-die whimpy stuff. I mean the step-aside-Ahnuld-before-you-get-hurt, bad-ass ninja, I ain’t PMSing I’m always like this, superhero girl stuff. Does anybody remember **Lady Kung-Fu**? She was so bad she could take you out with her ponytail holder. There aren’t too many movies like this. **Run, Lola, Run** would make it if Lola was more Powerpuff girl and less Alanis Morrisette. **Barb Wire**? Maybe, I haven’t seen it because Big Fake now-you-see-um, now you don’t Boobie woman gets on my nerves. Is she really that stupid or does she just act that way? Well folks, do you know of any movies I can add to my Women Kick Butt list? ---
**Author:** ![Jekeira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@Jekeira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jekeira)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/2 "2001-02-07T00:46:30Z")
It’s not a movie, but Aeryn Sun in the sci-fi series Farscape kicks alien butt all over the set. Gorgeous, too, and Claudia Black is the best actor on the show. Unfortunately :(, she seems to have died in the season finale, but her body was frozen, so she may come back. One can hope, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Dylan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e95f7d/32.png) [@Dylan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dylan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/3 "2001-02-07T01:46:53Z")
p-pp-ppp-pppp POW…!!! it’s been swell, but the swellings gone down… TANK GIRL and Patricia Arquette in TRUE ROMANCE does a kick ass job of self defense…I’ll never look at a corkscrew the same way again… ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/4 "2001-02-07T02:10:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dylan \* > \*\*p-pp-ppp-pppp POW…!!! > > it’s been swell, but the swellings gone down… > > TANK GIRL > and Patricia Arquette in TRUE ROMANCE does a kick ass job of self defense…I’ll never look at a corkscrew the same way again… \*\* Tank Girl? She’s a harmless lil fruit fly! (Lori Petty, btw) Let’s see, I’d go with Linda Hamilton. How about Maryl Streep in **The River Wild**! A departure role for her, but I thought her toughness was credible, if nothing else… Or how about Pam Grier? **Foxy Brown** , **Coffey** , and, of course **Jackie Brown** … ---
**Author:** ![Lexicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lexicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lexicon)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/5 "2001-02-07T02:22:28Z")
Trinity… DUH! And I have to submit a huge “Word.” about Linda Hamilton, if only for her role in T2: Judgement Day. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/6 "2001-02-07T02:51:51Z")
**Sigourney Weaver** is hard to beat. Whether it’s “The Year of Living Dangerously” or “Aliens”, she always does a respectable job. (We’ll ignore “Alien Resurrection”) **Lauren Bacall** and **Kate Hepburn** were queens of their time. **Barbara Stanwyck** deserves mention too. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/7 "2001-02-07T02:57:31Z")
Yeah, Bacall, Hepburn, and Stanwyck… Them was some brassy dames, I tell ya. You can add Ida Lupino to that, too, or even Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Susan Hayward… Rachel Ticotin in Total Recall! ---
**Author:** ![Tsugumo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4da419/32.png) [@Tsugumo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tsugumo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/8 "2001-02-07T03:59:58Z")
Michelle Yeoh (aka Michelle Khan) in Supercop kicks all sorts of ass. Though technically she’s like “WITH” Jackie Chan, so she’s not really the “star” (though as far as I’m concerned they both are), but she’s the star in Supercop 2 (only on video, go hunt for it…It says Jackie Chan all over it but he’s only in it for a 2 minute cameo dressed up as an old woman, heh…it’s a good movie though). Off the top of my head I can’t think of any others, though I know I’ve seen some. It’s been a while since I’ve gone through my video collection (which is basically all martial arts films anyway), heh… - Tsugumo ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/9 "2001-02-07T04:05:52Z")
**Hepburn** is strong, but genteel. I could never imagine her taking anyone out with her ponytail holder. **Davis** , on the other hand, would probably choke you with her ponytail if she had to. **Tank Girl** was all right, but I think someone should tell Lori Petty that mixing caffeine and helium has got to be bad for you. Yeah, Trinity kicked butt, but Keanu was “the one.” She didn’t get to fly around or de-res a single bad guy. She’s foxy _and_ she’s brown. Can’t beat that combination. Rachel not only kicked butt, but she’s got that great last name. Go ahead. Say it a few times out loud and tell me you don’t start hearing Tito Puente playing in your head. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/10 "2001-02-07T04:10:14Z")
I think Mira Sorvino in _The Replacement Killers_ was pretty good. Usually, I’m not fond of her but she was cool in that! ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/11 "2001-02-07T06:22:12Z")
Milla Jovovich (too many _V_s? not enough?) kicked much ass in both The Fifth Element and The Messenger. TFE was a more enjoyable film, IMO. (And, no, it’s not just because she was naked, or wearing nothing but latex straps for extended periods of time.) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/12 "2001-02-07T06:41:31Z")
**Tsugumo:** How about Cynthia Rothrock? She starred with Michelle Yeoh in _Yes Madam_ and a half-dozen other flicks before coming to the U.S. and diving straight into the direct-to-video market. I thought Geena Davis was fairly credible in _Long Kiss Goodnight._ **dantheman:** Pam Grier rules. Good call. And nobody’s yet brought up Zhang Ziyi from _Crouching Tiger_? She’s gonna be a villain in _Rush Hour 2._ ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/13 "2001-02-07T07:01:08Z")
Zhang Ziyi, if marketed right, could take on Michelle Yeoh for Queen of the Action film. She was great in _Crouching Tiger, hidden Dragon_, and may get an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/14 "2001-02-07T07:05:56Z")
Geena Davis in _Long Kiss Goodnight_ and _Cutthroat Island_. Linda Fiorentino in _The Last Seduction_. Kathleen Turner in _Prizzi’s Honor_, _Undercover Blues_, and _Serial Mom_. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/15 "2001-02-07T12:56:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > **Tsugumo: How about Cynthia Rothrock? She starred with Michelle Yeoh in _Yes Madam_ and a half-dozen other flicks before coming to the U.S. and diving straight into the direct-to-video market.** I didn’t realize Cynthia Rothrock wasn’t from the U.S. - or that she was in a foreign market first. I know she’s done countless direct-to-video films, though… Where is she from? ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/16 "2001-02-07T13:24:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by capacitor \* > \*\*Zhang Ziyi, if marketed right, could take on Michelle Yeoh for Queen of the Action film. She was great in _Crouching Tiger, hidden Dragon_, and may get an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress. \*\* I’m all over that. I knew how great Michelle Yeoh was, but I was very pleasantly surprised by Zhang Ziyi. And she’s a cutie to boot! ---
**Author:** ![dewt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@dewt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dewt)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/17 "2001-02-07T13:36:40Z")
I recently saw “G.I. Jane” with Demi Moore. That qualifies. All my money would still go on **Tank Girl** , though. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/18 "2001-02-07T14:47:00Z")
Thanks to Dan for mentioning some of MY role models . . . I may now go further back in time and bring up Pearl White, the first action heroine. I have “The Perils of Pauline” (1914) on tape, and it’s not “helpless girl tied to railroad tracks” at all. It’s about an independent woman who doesn’t want to get married, but goes out and has adventures (while a villain tries to do her in for her money). Half the time, Pauline winds up rescuing her boyfriend, rather than vice versa! ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/19 "2001-02-07T15:32:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\ ***Tsugumo:** How about Cynthia Rothrock? She starred with Michelle Yeoh in _Yes Madam_ and a half-dozen other flicks before coming to the U.S. and diving straight into the direct-to-video market. > \*\* Cynthia Rothrock was the first name that popped into my head when I saw this thread. I’d also have to give a nod to Bridget Fonda for “Point of No Return”. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422/20 "2001-02-07T18:04:13Z")
**dantheman:** Rothrock is an American, born somewhere on the East Coast (Rhode Island? don’t remember). She was a champion kickboxer for several years, which brought her to the attention of Hong Kong producers. They invited her to HK for the first _Yes, Madam_ film, co-starring Yeoh, in (I believe) 1985. After a string of HK movies (including what I think is her best Chinese production, _Righting Wrongs_, co-starring the amazing Yuen Biao), she was brought back to the U.S. in 1990 or 1991 for her first strictly American production, _China O’Brien_, under the direction of Robert Clouse – yes, he whose name appears on both _Enter the Dragon_ (even though Bruce Lee was the creative force) and the first attempt at a Jackie Chan breakthrough, _The Big Brawl._ Ever since then, she’s gone back and forth. She does most of her work here in the States (often in collaboration with that Jalal Merhi guy), while occasionally showing up in a guest-star capacity in HK films, though as I remember it’s been a while since the last one. Man, am I a geek or what… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-women-who-kick-butt/53422.md?page=2)